During a recent trip to Nashville, Dr. Carlos Aleman caught up with Ben and Bob for a great discussion about the history of Nicaragua and US relations with Central America in the 20th Century. Carlos’ expertise on this topic is both personal and professional; he was born in Nicaragua in 1979, immigrated to San Francisco, CA as a child, and earned his PhD in Latin American history from Michigan State University in 2012. In his interview, Carlos explains the history of Nicaraguan politics, the role the country played in the Iran-Contra scandal, and the ways these larger events affected his own road from Grenada, Nicaragua to Birmingham, Alabama, where he is currently an Assistant Professor of History at Samford University.

Dr. Carlos Aleman

The conversation also covers a variety of other topics, from Nashville-born filibusterer William Walker, who invaded Nicaragua and proclaimed himself President of the country in the 1850s, to the state of immigration policy today.

Recorded August 20th, 2016 in Nashville, TN w/ Bob via Skype from North Carolina.